The Pastoral Companion

A Canon Law Handbook for Catholic Ministry (5th Edition)

The Pastoral Companion is a handy reference, commentary, and textbook on canon law intended for Catholic clergy, lay ministers, and those preparing for ministries in the Catholic Church. In addition to the pertinent canons of the Code of Canon Law and the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, it includes citations from liturgical, ecumenical, and other important laws of the Holy See as well as decrees affecting the ministry from the conferences of bishops of the USA and Canada. Arranged topically rather than canon-by-canon, the reader can easily consult any topic desired. The commentaries aid the student and minister in their understanding and application of the law in the pastoral setting.

Among the features of this fifth edition are:

• new procedural laws for cases of marital nullity
• additions to and derogations from the Code of Canon Law to harmonize it with the Eastern code on matters such as the validity of the canonical form of marriage of Eastern Christians, the baptism of non-Catholic infants by Catholic ministers, and transfer from one church sui iuris to another
• changes to marriage laws concerning the formal act of defection from the Catholic Church
• changes in the organization and competencies of the Roman Curia
• other changes in universal law made by Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis
• updated commentaries
• a thoroughly revised commentary on the ascription to a church sui iuris of baptized Eastern non-Catholics received into the full communion of the Catholic Church